It wasn’t a heart wrenching decision to tell my mom that I wouldn’t be eating the dinner she made last Tuesday evening of steamed veggies, some type of flesh, (aka meat-and obviously she already knew I wouldn’t be eating that…) and delicious smelling stuffing because my body was already craving a huge spinach salad piled to the max with colorful super foods, NUM.
Later that night when my brother made the usual ice-cream run, I wasn’t even tempted! Why? Because I ALREADY felt SO GOOD and knew that what my mind was used to having was just a negative habit and it was time to put my big girl panties on and take control of the toxins and crap I had put into the most precious and special gift I will ever own – my body.
Even though I live in a house full of flesh-eating, ice-cream and cheese lovers, THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HOW I FEEL WHEN I WAKE UP TOMORROW OR GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT AND THEY DON’T HAVE TO LIVE INSIDE OF MY BODY FOR THE NEXT 50+ YEARS. So, it is time to stop playing the blame game of all the temptations in the cupboard a few steps from me as I write this and take full responsibility of every area in my life, including the HUGE area of my health.
Just to clear up the air – I am not going fully raw for weight issues (even though I most definitely needed to tone up a lot and this lifestyle has already helped me lose a good amount of fat) but it is more to help my mind to be as sharp as I can get it. Since taking FULL responsibility for my actions and reactions, I understand that I can take my self-development as far as I want to. I have done EXTENSIVE research on eating raw and there truly are no negatives to this lifestyle as long as you are getting enough calories. When you are putting only living things into your body instead of putting death and processed “food” into your body, it makes sense that you will feel more ALIVE.
The only thing that I want to recommend to anyone who reads this and makes the switch to go raw either now or in the future is to make sure you are getting enough calories and if you go thru a hard detox/withdrawal phase PUSH THRU IT, LET YOURSELF REST AND BE SICK because your body is just detoxing something you have been used to taking in for your entire life! It makes sense that you would feel this way. I have had no headaches or any withdrawal symptoms in the past week (not saying it won’t still happen at some point.)
Actually, in only 1 week of being raw – I have already broken the need to use any type of drug to help me sleep, for headaches or aches, and I even no longer feel the need (or want) to have my morning coffee! I have slept so much better and have had a blast discovering so many cool raw vegan recipes. My brain’s clarity overall is just better and I have tackled my to-do list like a BOSS.
This past week, I have made the following FULLY RAW recipes (and more!) that I will be sharing with you guys soon including: RAW strawberry smoothies, fettucine alfredo, watermelon cucumber juice, guacamole, gigantic salads, chocolate peanut butter and banana smoothie, ect… in NO way have I felt deprived being a raw vegan. I feel way more satisfied than what I ate as a vegetarian (really a wanna-be vegan who ate cheese haha)
Ooooeeee I can’t wait to get back to Cali and check out all the raw cafes and restaurants I have read and heard about. I did find a super awesome raw restaurant in Chicago I will check out soon belonging to one of my top 4 raw inspirations: Karyn Calabrase who is referred to as “sexy at 65” You be the judge, her picture is right below.
I will leave you with my top raw vegan inspiration sources. I will talk more about these lovely and inspiring FULLY RAW women soon!
Karyn Calabrese on the left is 65 in this picture, Mimi Kirk on the right is 73! Now you tell me that eating Raw isn’t as close as us humans can get to the fountain of youth.
Andrea Cox “The Healthy Haven”
Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram”Fully Raw”
Thank you so much for reading! I hope to see you here at www.nomadyouth.com again soon.
X,
Kate
This is really inspiring! But I feel so limited in my foods already, as I`m already gluten free and dairy free, and I`m not sure how much more limitation I can take. Does it help with sugar cravings? I could definitely make the switch if I stopped craving sweets.
Hi there! If you are already gluten and dairy free then you will have NO PROBLEM AT ALL going fully raw! The hardest thing for me was the cheese, so I just watched some “gross” videos on what milk REALLY is and also did more research on how bad it is for you. If you just watch the new documentary (I watched it on Netflix) about what sugar really is – maybe that will help you give it up. You can eat nuts being raw of course as well as coconut so I would also eat a lot of coconut oil and make peanut butter (peanut butter smoothies ohmygosh NUM and so sweet!) to help with the sugar cravings.
If you want to feel completely free from guilt and so in touch with your emotions I would make the jump just for a week and feel it out – its not for everyone but like I said, I think it will be easy if you are already gluten + dairy free! Let me know how it goes and try youtube searching the women I posted at the end for TONS of raw recipies online! (well, all of them except for Karyn has tons of info/recipies on youtube!) Best of luck and thank you so much for the comment. x!
P.S. the title to that documentary that talks a good amount about sugar is called “Hungry for Change” – It is epic!
Well, I`m not really into it for ethical reasons, I`m doing it because it sort of puts me into a food coma. I`ve seen lots of documentaries, my problem is that it is a very addictive substance. I do love mixing peanut butter and cocoa powder straight up as a dessert, so maybe with some cashew creme on top it would be an even better dessert than that other junk? I think I will give it a test week. If I can manage it in the dead of Winter (I don`t live anywhere near Cali) then I suppose I could do it no matter what! I guess I always feel a little discouraged when I see all of these recipes that use fancy equipment I don`t have. I`ve seen a ton of sites and recipes, I`m just not so sure I can do it because of the equipment and expense of so much fresh food. I guess if I balance that out with the expense of being sick, though…
If it makes you feel any better – I only have a super cheap blender.
I hope it makes you feel as great as it did for me… and if you check out those ladies they will def give you a big boost of inspiration and knowledge! Esp. Kristina – she is THE BEST. 
When they talk about fancy schmancy noodle makers and juice mixers, ect… I just use what I have already to make the stuff they are talking about. One day I will save up some mula but for now what I have will have to do. 
Good luck – let me know how the week goes! I was just as addicted to cheeeeeese as you are sugar most likely but that lil’ dessert you metioned sounds DEEEELISH.
Good pep talk.
I can do this!
You can do anything.
Congrats! I’ve read a lot about the raw diet, and while I don’t think I’d ever go 100% I think including more raw foods for anyone is great. I really love this woman’s youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/rawsynergytv
Hi there! Thank you
Wow, I was just on her youtube yesterday! I can’t believe she cut off her gorgeous blonde hair though 
Thank you for the comment! I love your default photo – about to hop on over to your blog right NOW. 
Best! ~ Kate
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